The Chibi Fruits Basket Christmas Pageant!
by Geoduck
Summary: The Fruits Basket cast is putting on a Christmas pageant, and Kyo is not happy about who has been cast as Mary. AUish


_Disclaimer: the characters were created by Natsuki Takaya. The biblical story comes from the Book of Luke. The pageant story comes from urban legend. The idea to mix them all together is mine._

**Author's note: Yes, I know that Christmas is not a religious holiday in Japan. And I know that not all of the characters interacted at age 10. Call it poetic license or AU. But please, enjoy.**

Bad Ideas Gone Wrong Productions presents:

**The Chibi Fruits Basket Christmas Pageant!**

"Kyo-kun! Where are you?"

That not-as-far-off-as-it-ought-to-be shout shook the ten-year-old Kyo out of his reverie. He quickly looked about for a good place to hide, and finding none, took off like a shot.

"Kyooooooooo-kuuuuuuuuun!" Her voice grew louder and louder as she drew nearer. It did not sound like a happy voice to him. He quickened his pace.

"Kyo-kun! I can see you! Stop running, so I can kill you!"

"Are you crazy! I'm not going to... umph!" She silenced him by tackling his midsection. Next, she began pummeling him, but her heart wasn't really in it.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, Kyo-kun!" She paused in beating him to wipe a tear from her eye.

Kyo, who was still pinned down by Kagura, turned his head to the side and spit out a bit of blood. "What did I do?"

"Stupid Kyo-kun! You knew I was going to be Mary in the Christmas pageant!"

"Yeah? So what!"

"And I wanted Kyo-kun to be Joseph! But you..." she sobbed. "...you didn't get the part!"

"Well, I can't help that. They didn't want me."

"Haru-chan told me that you were bad in the auditions on purpose! And now Yun-chan is my Joseph instead of Kyo-kun."

"So, you've got a girly Joseph. I don't care. I've got a different part."

"What are you?"

"The innkeeper."

"The who?"

"The one who turns you and that damn rat away from the inn."

Kagura's face grew red with anger. "STUPID KYO-KUN!" With a quick one-two to his stomach, she ran away in tears.

Despite his great pain, Kyo smirked as she walked away. "I'm going to enjoy turning her away from MY inn."

Kyo thought the rehearsals were a lot of fun.

Shigure, the director, was less enthused. He finally got Kyo to stop answering with 'Hell, no' when asked if he had any room at the inn. It took longer to get Kagura to stop karate-kicking Kyo in the jaw every time he turned them away. And Hatsuharu the shepherd always managed to get lost backstage.

Luckily, Momiji the wise man didn't get into too much trouble, shy little Kisa acted almost as angelically as she was dressed, and although Hiro did not particularly _want_ to play a sheep, he at least wore with patience the costume his mother had sewn for him.

On the night of the last rehearsal, however, he got one of those calls that any director hates to.

"The flu? Oh no... is Kagura all right? That's good to hear. Yes, I agree, she couldn't possibly. Don't worry about it, I will find a substitute. Please tell her everyone wishes her well."

Remembering suddenly how much trouble a certain feline had caused him, he suddenly got a strange look on his face. "Please tell her that Kyo especially wishes for her to get well soon and that he sends all of his love."

He hung up and smirked. "That'll teach that brat to mess with the great Shigure Sohma."

The players, all ready for the final dress rehearsal, milled about onstage. Shigure strode in the middle of the room, clapping his hands for order. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. Because she is sick, Kagura will be unable to play Mary in our Christmas pageant, so we will have to have a substitute."

He beckoned towards the doorway he had entered from. "Come here, don't be afraid." A little girl with straight brown hair, dressed in Mary's robes, entered with trepidation. "Everyone, this is Tohru Honda. She was in the choir, but since Kagura is sick, I asked her to play Mary and she agreed. Everyone please be nice to Tohru-chan, and give her all the help she needs."

While Kyo had been mostly relieved not to be on the receiving end of Kagura's abuse for the duration of the pageant, he felt odd about this substitution. He hadn't talked with Tohru before, but he knew who she was. He had wanted to talk to her before, but he was too nervous to.

Mary did not have many lines in the pageant, and Tohru was a quick study on being in the right place at the right time. Kyo noticed that she seemed a natural at the part--her face seemed to always have the right emotion for the scene she was in.

When Kyo's big scene came, and the script required him to rudely send them away, the sad look she gave him made him feel uneasy in his stomach. Like he should go up to her afterwards and apologize for his character's rudeness.

Then he noticed it. As Joseph and Mary walked away, Joseph... that damn Yuki... was holding her hand. He was leading her around, holding her hand.

That... that... BASTARD!

At the end of the rehearsal, Shigure was smiling. "That was wonderful, Tohru-chan, everyone. I think we're going to have a great show tomorrow. Everyone, please remember to be here on time!"

Kyo was so lost in his thought, he could hardly hear a word he said.

It was the night of the pageant, and the hall was filled with parents and other family members. Dozens of video cameras recorded the action.

Things were going smoothly. True, some of the children were surreptitiously waving to their parents in the audience, but sort of thing always happens. But no one was forgetting their lines, and everyone was having a good time.

Except for one orange-haired boy, stage right, who was conflicted. As his scene grew closer, he became more and more agitated, until...

Kureno the stage manager tapped his shoulder. "It's your cue, go onstage."

With resolve, Kyo stepped out into the lights.

There they were, Yuki and Tohru, as Joseph and Mary. Yuki, that damn rat, stood there, holding Tohru's hands between both of hers and giving her a goopy look. Then he looked at Kyo. "Oh, innkeeper, do you have room for us on this evening? For we have come so far, from Nazareth in Galilee, and my wife is almost ready to bear her child." Kyo could swear he saw Yuki smirk as he said this.

Then Tohru spoke. "Oh please, a room, for my child."

Kyo opened his mouth, but before he spoke, he paused, then closed his mouth again. There was a stirring in the audience: obviously the boy forgot his line. He heard Kureno trying to prompt him from offstage.

He ignored it, then finally spoke. "Mary, I do have a room for you tonight. You can stay as long as you want. But Joseph, you can go to hell." Kyo reached for Tohru's hand and pulled her offstage with him.

The audience was struck silent for a moment, then began murmuring in confusion. There were two smiles however: Kazuma modestly covered his mouth as he grinned. 'Ah, that's one way to beat Yuki, I suppose.' And elsewhere in the theatre, Kyoko Honda openly guffawed. 'Well, he did promise to watch out for my girl for me...'

END

Merry Christmas!


End file.
